Broken
by firstdragonrider
Summary: They believed they would never break. They thought nothing could get to them. But sometimes not even hope can keep you alive. But at least you have each other to the very end. Rated M for torture.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Broken

**Rating:** M for torture and violence

**Pairing:** Sam/Daniel Friendship story. (Because they're adorable friends)

**Season:** Around season 8

**Genre:** Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Torture

**Summary:** They believed that they would never break. They thought nothing could get to them. But sometimes not even hope can keep you alive. But at least you have each other to the very end. Rated M for torture.

**Authors Note:** This story is something I've wanted to write for a while, because I just love putting these two into sticky situations where there is no possible kind of escape. :D (Yes, you may call me crazy and evil.) I must warn you that the characters might end up being out of character in this story, but I would be out of character if I was being tortured too. X3 I want to dedicate the story to my friend Bailey who finally saw the light and understood just how amazing Stargate is! Enjoy, and please do review! ^_^

Daniel could hear her breathing through the darkness. It was a strangely comforting thing; it reminded him that he wasn't alone. Although most of him wanted to be alone, he didn't want someone to be here with him; to go through the pain that he was going through now. But Sam was here. In this dark damp cell that smelled like a trapped autumn morning without all the nice red leaves and wonderful smiles and laughs. There was the dripping in the corner; that eerie dripping that always seemed to be associated with prison cells. There was also of course that significant and unwanted trail of water that constantly crawled down the wall and chilled him to his bones.

"They're going to come for us again." The voice was so quiet, yet seemed to tear through the silence and break through his skull with the hopelessness behind the words. They bounced through the walls and then settled into silence.

"Everything's going to be okay," he responded into the silence, not necessarily voicing his opinion about her choice of words. It hadn't been a question. More like a statement. They both knew that she was right. Silence settled over the cell again, only broken by the dripping of the water in the corner. His back had practically gone numb with the cold and the fact that he hadn't moved from his slumped position in hours. Or perhaps it had been minutes? Or maybe days? He couldn't be sure; he hadn't been keeping track of how many times the light that filtered in through the small bars above him had changed outside. He had however been paying attention to how many times he had been taken away to be beaten. Four. Three times for Sam. He had been in the sarcophagus once. Same with Sam. But that had been a while ago, after his first beating.

"How long have we been here," he asked, his words slurring as his vision took a dangerous dip into blackness. But luckily it returned.

"Three days," Sam answered immediately, her voice sounding a bit louder and stronger than before. Good, at least she still seemed to have energy. Deciding to do something about his back, he mustered strength into his legs and pushed himself into an upright position. The heavy chains linking his wrists dragged slightly and the noise jarred his ears. He tried not to moan as blood flowed back into his veins and reminded him why slumping was never a good idea. Daniel decided to move closer to the bars that separated him and his friend while he was shifting and soon he found himself pushed up beside the slick bars of his cell. He wasn't surprised to find that Sam was already sitting there and her head lolled to the side and met his blue eyes. He stared into her eyes for a moment and they softened.

"Hey," he rumbled, his voice turning into a deep cough and he had to lean to the side as blood made its way up his throat and out onto the stone floor. He rested his head back against the wall with heavy breaths, the coughing robbing him of valuable energy. "Damn, internal bleeding," he whispered softly, hating to admit that he was beaten up a little more badly than first thought.

"We're going to die here." The words grabbed Daniel by the throat and squeezed hard. What? It sounded so foreign coming from his friend. She never said that. Never had he heard Sam use those words. The soldier in her had always managed to find a way to stay positive. She always believed that there was a way out. Had she really been that broken?

"Sam-"

"No, Daniel. I can't feel my legs. I know I have a concussion, I probably have internal bleeding, and this cut on my arm is getting infected. I'm not getting out of here alive." Daniel closed his eyes against the realization of what she was saying. He had known about the concussion and cut on her arm, but not the internal bleeding and legs. That was an issue. He glanced at her and saw that she was still staring at him, but her eyes held a vacant feverish glow that he wasn't accustomed to. Cuts littered her face and tore through her beautiful features, making her look very vulnerable. He reached through the bars, dragging the chains attached to his wrist, and carefully grabbed her hand which was lying limply beside her.

He intertwined his fingers with hers and squeezed it lightly, and he was surprised when she gripped on tightly. He saw the fear and pain flash briefly in her eyes and Daniel tried to smile. It seemed to work because there was a spark of recognition in her eyes that brought a slight hope fluttering into Daniel's heart. She wasn't completely gone yet.

"We're going to get through this," he said softly, knowing that if he spoke any louder his aching throat would complain. "Don't give up on me. And don't give up on the SGC. They haven't given up on us and so we can't give up on them." Sam just continued staring at him with those large, lost blue eyes and Daniel found it slightly concerning to see her like this. Fighting against the chains and calling out any reserve strength, he lifted his hand and tried to touch her face, but the chain stopped him from going any further. His hand shook with the action and he had to drop it back down to the floor with a sigh of defeat.

He gave the chain a feeble tug once more and it protested against his actions. Oh how he wished the chains would just disappear. It wasn't like they were going to be able to escape anyway, not with his injuries and Sam's paralyzed legs. Panting now, he abandoned the quest for touching Sam's face comfortingly and just sat there trying to figure out what hurt the most. Small cold fingers snatched onto his again and he opened his hand as Sam clutched onto it with frightening strength. Finding her eyes, he saw that they were glistening with unshed tears.

"I don't want to die here," she whispered. Daniel made a sound that reminded her of a kicked puppy. He had never seen her so lost, so scared. Broken.

"Don't," he asked her, squeezing her hand reassuringly. She needed to know that he was here for her. He had always been there for her. She had always been there for him. That's how friendship worked, and what he and Sam shared was something special. It was love, true love. Not the kind of love that he and Sha're had shared, or the kind of love he felt toward Jack and Teal'c. It was different than that; it was almost like she was his soul-sister. Someone who you just connected with and shared a bond.

Footsteps were heard from outside their cells and soon a metal door was flung open and light flowed into the room. Daniel retrieved his hand in order to cover his eyes with it as the light illuminated the world which has been so dark and quiet moments ago.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Wow, thanks for all the story alerts and reviews guys! =D (Thank you to the four of you who reviewed. xD) Reviews are to this story what chocolate is to my soul. *nods* Here's the next chapter! _

"Cree! Ai'emain ha'shak!" The voice of one of the Jaffa boomed through the cell and Daniel squinted at the form. Neither Sam nor Daniel made any suggestions to move and the Jaffa stomped his foot loudly on the ground. "Ai'emain ha'shak!" His voice repeated again, this time a little more violent. Daniel knew what the words meant, but chose to ignore them. He had already tried negotiating; it hadn't ended well. Suddenly two more Jaffa's appeared and they made their way toward Daniel's cell, unlocking the door and making their way toward him. He braced himself as they approached, knowing that this wasn't going to end well. The two Jaffa bent down to unclasp his chains, but a shout from their commander stopped them.

"Wait," he called, and the two Jaffa took a step back, sneering at Daniel with hatred flaring in their eyes. Daniel watched them with less-than-interested eyes, just wishing that they could disappear into thin air. "Take the woman instead." Daniel raised his eyebrows and tried to stand up.

"Wait, no, take me! Si'nu! I have valuable information that she doesn't!" The Jaffa chose not to listen, even though he said the sentence again in the Goa'uld dialect they were speaking. He managed to get up into a crouch and pushed himself against the bars. The Jaffa was already inside her cage and Sam glared at them as they approached, scrambling to get into a defensive position. Without much difficulty, they unclasped her chains and hoisted her onto her feet, which weren't doing much anyway. They ended up dragging her out and Daniel could see the pain on her face.

"Don't die on me," he called to her desperately, trying to lace some humor into his voice.

"I'll do my best," she replied through clenched teeth, struggling to get onto her feet before she disappeared through the door. The commander gave Daniel a smug smirk before shutting the door and enclosing him with darkness once more. He sunk to the ground as he heard a pained cry from outside and a short laugh followed by footsteps that then echoed off into the distance. Then everything became silent. Daniel slumped down again to the floor and felt very lonely. His wrists hurt now after his brief struggle against the chains, and he reached toward the chain and slid the link further up his arm which exposed the angry and bruised skin underneath. The metal chains weighed pounds and were a burden on his wrists and exposed skin.

Light had begun to fade from the small window above him, and he realized that it must be nighttime soon. Shadows played around on the walls, and Daniel watched, uninterested, as the water and the light twisted and twirled as the sun set outside. His head ached, and he closed his eyes for a brief moment, swallowing and then trying to keep down the bile that was trying to rise up his throat. He wished he had water. And an aspirin. Or a nice warm bed, some coffee, and a tablet to translate. Mmm, that sounded nice. Now that Daniel thought about it, he was very tired. His eyes didn't seem to want to open again, which was fine by him since the creeping finger of unconsciousness was already numbing some of the pain. If he could just get a few minutes of sleep, just a few, that would be all he needed.

His eyes snapped open and he groaned. He couldn't sleep. He recognized the dangerous signs of blood loss, dehydration, and malnourishment. If he went to sleep he might not wake up. He could have gone to sleep if Sam was here with him, but she wasn't, and he had to keep a lookout for himself. And he needed to make sure that he was awake when his friend returned. He went back to staring blankly at the wall before him, his head pounding and waves of heat rolling off of him. Yet he felt chilled to the bone, and he really wished he had a sweater with him. His black military t-shirt was torn in a couple of places and an angry burn mark was on his arm where they had used the pain stick on him. He shuddered at the thought. And now Sam was going through the same thing. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the wall and wished that Sam could just be saved. She was in some ways the weakest link to the team, and in other cases the strongest. But when it came to torture, beatings, and interrogations, she was often the one who was chosen.

He sat there, staring at the cold, wet wall for what seemed forever, until his stomach decided to do something fun and he had to empty what little nutrition he had onto the stone floor. Wiping his mouth on his shoulder, Daniel noticed to dismay that black dots were swimming in his vision.

"_Damn it,"_ he thought as his stomach did little summersaults inside of him. Apparently it did not approve of his internal bleeding. Groaning again, he leaned his head back against the wall and for once actually approved of the cold water running down the back of his head. Suddenly he heard footsteps coming from outside, and his body automatically tensed. The door was unlocked and it swung open to reveal the two Jaffa. One had Sam slumped over his shoulder, and he ventured into the cell and dumped her on the ground inside of Daniel's cage. Her head hit the ground with a sickening thud and she lay without moving as the guards shut the door and deprived the room of any light. Daniel's eyes quickly adjusted, and he pulled slightly at his chains.

"Sam." His voice was too loud for his throat's approval and he ended up choking back gags as his stomach tried emptying nothingness. The blonde women lying on the floor just out of his reach didn't respond to his call and Daniel started panicking, fearing the worst.

"Sam, you need to wake up," he ordered, a little quieter this time. Squinting in the darkness, he studied Sam closely and found to his relief that her chest was moving up and down slightly in ragged breaths. He sighed in relief and his eyes flashed from fear to worry. "You're not completely gone yet," he said out to the darkness, knowing that Sam was most likely unconscious and not able to hear what he was saying. Mustering up precious energy, he pulled against the chains and struggled to get close enough to at least touch his friend in order to wake her up. He cried out slightly in pain as he pushed harder and the metal dug into his wrists, but the chains wouldn't budge. Slumping back against the wall in defeat, Daniel tried extending a leg in order to nudge Sam instead. His leg was just a foot or so away from the women lying motionless on the floor, and no matter how far he reached he just couldn't reach her.

"Come on Sam…" he muttered under his breath, the room spinning in his vision. He was exhausted; he couldn't even tell where he was hurting anymore because everything was nice and numb. Watching Sam's chest rise and fall, Daniel felt a sort of comfort at the fact that she was still alive. That was what mattered the most out of everything. His eyelids drooped down but quickly opened again. He continued staring at Sam until finally his eyes closed and wouldn't open again.

A/N: I find it a bit funny how I am feeling exactly like Daniel right now. I can't even keep y eyes open… Like, I just spent ten minutes on this sentence because I keep on falling asleep. xD


	3. Chapter 3

"Get up." Daniel's mind slowly went back from sleep mode to awareness. It was a painful process, and for a moment Daniel wished he could have just stayed asleep. Until he remembered Sam. Fighting his way to the surface, he opened his eyes and pain blossomed all over, to the point where he opened his mouth in a silent scream. His eyes flailed around his cell, looking past the legs of the guards to the small, curled up form of his friend lying behind them.

"Sam," he breathed out with much difficulty, squinting and trying to figure out if she was just lying motionless or if she was… No, she couldn't be. She wasn't allowed to be dead. "Sam." This time it was more of a rasp, and a little louder. But the shape didn't stir. The guards sneered down at him.

"Worried about your little friend," one of them spat, reaching down and un-fastening the chains around Daniel's wrists. Together they heaved the limp man onto his feet and Daniel blinked in surprise as his legs suddenly felt blood rushing toward them once again. He had almost forgotten what the world looked like standing up. He didn't have much time to ponder this long-lost experience, as the two Jaffa were soon dragging him out of his cell. Daniel, much against the protest of his aching back and neck, threw a glance over his shoulder and saw to his relief that Sam was indeed breathing. She had had him worried there for a while.

When they emerged into the brightly lit corridor, Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, not really needing to know where he was going since the guards were dragging him anyway. It wasn't like he was going to find some superhuman strength and pump power into his legs so that he could run away. No. This wasn't another one of those fairytales or story books where the hero magically manages to save everyone. That scenario had been erased as soon as he and Sam had understood that there was no way they were getting out of this retched place. Opening his eyes just a crack, Daniel noted that they had arrived in the charming torture chamber that he had been seeing a lot of these past couple of days. Or weeks. Or whatever.

He hadn't even been dumped onto the floor completely before his chest connected painfully with a pain stick. Everything became blinding pain, it seared through his head and he let out a scream, destroying the remained of his slightly uninjured throat. Raw screams of agony ripped through the chamber, but then it disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived, leaving a dull ache that threatened to explode his head.

"Now then," said the deep voice of Máahes with a satisfied twinge to it. "Let's try this again, shall we Daniel?" Daniel gasped for breath, steadying himself with his palms resting on the cold stone ground. It looked very inviting, like he could just lie down and let it cool his feverish skin.

"I'm not telling you anything," he managed to choke out, flinching as his raw throat flared up in pain. Máahes chuckled.

"Your friend Samantha was… More than willing to provide details," he said in a tone that made Daniel want to puke. If he had something left to puke that was. He was playing games with him. Sam would never tell this pig anything. Daniel opted to stay silent and not indulge the Goa'uld in conversation. It was just as much of a method to piss the snakehead off as it was a way to keep his throat and body happy. Talking just didn't seem very popular with his vocal cords at the moment. He heard footsteps nearing him, and soon a pair of shoes dressed in shoes with gold embroidery appeared in his vision. A hand snaked through his hair and latched on, pulling upwards with surprising strength, and Daniel was forced into a half kneeling, half sitting position with his head spinning.

"Tell me the gate address to Earth." Daniel almost felt like laughing, but decided against it.

"Never," he hissed out through his clenched teeth. The Goa'uld grabbed his throat with one hand which forced Daniel up onto his feet in order to ease the pressure off of his throat. His hands scratched wildly at the arm which gripped his throat even tighter. He gagged, trying to take in precious air which wasn't working very well.

"Tell me the gate address to Earth," the Goa'uld said again through clenched teeth, emphasizing his point by shaking Daniel slightly. He let go of Daniel and the blonde went crashing to the floor, his chest heaving as it tried to make up for the lost air. "Don't make me wait," Máahes said impatiently, using his foot to push Daniel's head into the ground lightly.

"Fine," Daniel faltered, wrapping shaking arms around his stomach which was hurting. He whispered something which the Goa'uld didn't hear, and the man leaned down further.

"Say it," he growled. Daniel managed to glance up at the man with hatred flashing in his eyes.

"It's easy." He croaked, pain visible on his face. "Just dial 'fuck you' and 'go to hell' and you should be on the right path." Máahes cried out in anger and kicked Daniel in the back, causing the man to arch and grind his teeth together in pain.

"How much more torture do you need to go through to understand that what you're doing is pointless and _pathetic?_" Máahes cried in frustration, pacing away from Daniel with anger seething in his eyes. A smug satisfaction registered in Daniel's head, which was a nice distraction from the pain. The pain stick landed sharply on his side and Daniel cried out once more, his mind ripping itself to shreds as the pain threatened to render him unconscious, even though that seemed like a nice alternative right now. His screams died off as the pain continued, his throat no longer able to keep up with his screams as it failed. Somewhere inside of him he felt something explode (probably an organ; maybe his liver) and soon enough the pain numbed him, lulling him into sleep.

"_Wait," _Daniel thought frantically as one line of clear thought entered his head. He wasn't falling asleep. He was dying. Then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Gasping for a breath of air, Daniel snapped open his eyes and flailed around helplessly in the tight space until he realized where he was. A sarcophagus. Again. His entire body felt new, and for once there was no pain. _No pain whatsoever. _He knew how dangerous a sarcophagus could be; with its false sense of power and hope that could easily addict any user. Especially in a situation like this. The lid opened and the archeologist was greeted by the familiar sight of two guards who pulled him roughly out of the machine. As soon as Daniel was on his feet, one of the men punched him hard in the gut while the other struck him in the face with his staff weapon. Daniel doubled over, not knowing what was worse, the pain from his throbbing nose or the lack of air in his lungs. The two guards led him back the familiar route to the cell where he and Sam were being held.

As soon as they entered the dark room, Daniel squinted and tried to make out the shape of Sam. Instead of chaining him up like they usually did, the two Jaffa's merely opened the cell door and pushed him inside, quickly locking the door behind him and then exiting the room. Daniel stood confused for a second, wondering why they would give him such freedom, until he guiltily remembered the other occupant of the cell. He glanced toward the back wall and saw a limp shape curled up in the corner, a trail of blood leading away from her to where she had first fallen when the guards had returned with her. With two long steps, Daniel was kneeling down and checking for a pulse, finding a some-what steady one with a sigh of relief.

"I knew you wouldn't leave me just yet," he murmured, sliding down into a sitting position beside her and carefully laying her body out straight. He put her head on his thighs, making sure to be careful of her nasty head injury. Glancing down at her body, Daniel's face twisted into pain and remorse. "Oh Sam," he whispered, carefully touching her shoulder which had a deep wound that had been cauterized. She had to be in a lot of pain. The woman suddenly started stirring, and a moan escaped her parched lips while her arms managed to flail wildly with some weird reserve strength that she had somewhere. Her blue eyes snapped open and fear filled them when she realized that there was someone else there with her.

"Sam, Sam, it's okay, it's only me," Daniel said urgently, trying to calm the frightened soul. At first she didn't recognize his voice and she tried to scream _"get away from me" _but the only sound that came from her throat was a rasping sound. Daniel finally managed to grab hold of her wrists, and he held the firmly, forcing her to look up at him. "It's me, you're okay," he cooed again, releasing her wrists carefully when he saw the glimmer of recognition in her eyes.

"Daniel," she croaked, her voice filled with so much terror and pain and desperation that it almost brought tears to the man's eyes. "I thought you were dead," Sam continued, although Daniel was reading her lips more than he was listening to her since her voice was barely a whisper.

"Oh no, Sam, I could never leave you all alone here," Daniel said softly, gentle gathering her up in his arms and hugging her close. At first her body stiffened and became rigid, but she quickly melted into his embrace when her head finally processed the fact that she wasn't in any immediate danger. And although no tears escaped her eyes (which was probably due to the fact that there was no more liquid to spare in her system) she sobbed quietly into his chest while he 'hushed' her and stroked her hair gently. Never had he seen her like this before; never had he seen _anyone_ like this before. It was… heart-wrenching to say the least! The strong woman he knew and admired was laying in his arms sobbing like life didn't matter anymore. What had they done to her? Sam's body shivered violently and she pulled away to retch furiously. Her stomach was empty though, but liquid still dripped onto the floor. Daniel didn't have to look to know that it was blood.

She sat back up and coughed a couple of times, wiping away the blood that smeared from her lips. Her hands were shaking and she clasped them together, trying to hide their state as she pulled her knees closer to her. At first Daniel feared that she had gotten a fever, and he slowly reached out and clasped his hands over hers, both dread and relief mixing in his gut when he felt that they were cold as rock. At least she wasn't burning up. Squinting against the darkness, he also noticed how pale she was.

"Are you cold?" he murmured, stroking a piece of hair from her face behind her ear. She flinched and drew away, not meeting his gaze.

"I'm fine," she rasped, hugging herself tightly. Her teeth chattered for just a second before she managed to snap her jaw together.

"Sam, it's freezing in here," Daniel said in a dismayed tone. It was true; the cell was abnormally cold today, but Daniel was handling the temperature drop much better. (Probably due to his recent sarcophagus adventure.) Sam shook her head with a groan, ignoring his words.

"I'm fine," she whispered again, squeezing her eyes together tightly.

"You can't keep on doing this," Daniel said, turning slightly so that he could grasp her face with one gentle hand. "It's okay to be weak," he mumbled. "Sam, look at me." Two red-shot eyes stared back at him through the darkness. "I'm here to protect you, and you're here to protect me. I'm the one who just got back from the sarcophagus. Let me help you." Sam sniffled and closed her eyes again, her whole frame still shivering as she gave a small nod.

"I'm cold," she finally admitted, earning a dismayed look from Daniel. He scooted closer and put his arm around her, molding her into his side. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, trying to draw whatever warmth was coming from the man. A couple of minutes passed by when her body suddenly started shaking again, and she drew in a shaky breath which caused pain to explode all over.

"It's not helping," Daniel said, more to himself than to Sam. Making a decision, he slipped from her grasp and sat cross-legged, putting an arm behind Sam's back and other one under her knees. He lifted Sam (which was surprisingly easy, he noted with dismay) who protested feebly but made no move to struggle. Setting her down in his lap sideways, he encircled her with his arms, hugging her close to him. At least this way she was off the stone ground.

"No," she mumbled, staring up at him. "I'm too heavy." Daniel almost laughed but instead grinned slightly.

"You're okay, just focus on getting warm." He gently rubbed her arms which caused her to cry out, and he cursed at his stupidity for forgetting about all the cuts and wounds and bruises. He apologized many times and just held her, tucking her head under his chin. She shuddered in his embrace as her cold limbs pressed against his warm ones and she involuntarily pressed her cold nose into his warm neck, causing his breath to catch in his throat. She mumbled something that sounded like 'sorry' but he waved it off, glad that he could be offering warmth to his frail companion. It was the least he could do.

**A/N: Yay for the feeling of out-of-character-ness! xD I really felt like they were out of character in this chapter. But whatever, it'll have to work like that, because I need to write scenes like this in order to survive... *coughs* Thank you SO much for all of you who are reviewing and story-alerting and such! It makes my day and puts a smile on my face! **


	5. Chapter 5

The shared body heat that they suddenly managed to muster up was very soothing and Sam soon curled up tighter against her friend, trying to will the warmth to jump to her. Daniel blinked sleepily a couple of times, Sam's steady breathing against his chest and her body heat mingling with his causing his brain to be muddled and tired. His eyes drooped slightly but he snapped them back open, deciding on rocking Sam back and forth in order to stay awake.

"Don't fall asleep," he murmured close to her ear which caused Sam to nod against him. A hesitant hand snaked up to rest gently on his chest and she started drawing small circles absentmindedly, trying to stay awake. But finally this wasn't enough to cause her body to still and her eyelids to drop. Daniel squeezed her slightly, willing her to wake back up, but she didn't wake up. He sighed and fought against either letting her sleep peacefully and risking not waking up or waking her up and putting her through more pain and drowsiness. "Don't fall asleep," he repeated again, but got no response. He sat in silence for a moment, not really understand how quiet it was. Until he realized that Sam wasn't breathing.

"Oh shit!" Pushing Sam away from him, he gently laid her on the ground and scrambled onto his knees, frantically trying to remember those CPR lessons he had taken a while ago. He plugged her nose, taking a deep breath and lowering his head to hers, blowing two breaths of air into her mouth. He counted to thirty silently as he pumped on her chest, swearing under his breath when she still didn't respond. He bent down for two more breaths and she coughed as soon as his lips left hers, causing a wave of relief to wash over Daniel. He slumped back into a sitting position as Sam evened out her breathing, a shaky hand coming up to wipe the sweat from her face.

"D-Daniel,"

"Right here…" He laid one hand carefully on her shoulder and two shaky and tired eyes met his.

"Still cold," she complained, and Daniel wondered if she even knew what had just happened. Instead of asking, he swept her back up into his embrace and rocked her soothingly, feeling miserable at the fact that he couldn't do anything more to help her… A low moaning sound came from Sam and it reminded Daniel of a dying animal. He squeezed his eyes together, feeling the desperation setting in. They needed to put her in the sarcophagus. That was the only way she would be okay at this point.

"Tired," Sam prompted, her eyes rolling into the back of her head for a moment as she lapsed into brief blackness before focusing her eyes once more.

"I know, but you can't sleep," he said rather forcefully.

"Just a little while Daniel, please?" She pleaded softly, her words just a whisper in the stony silence.

"No," Daniel replied promptly, causing Sam to sigh quietly.

"I need sleep."

"You need to stay awake."

"Daniel…"

"I don't want you dying, okay?" Silence filled his last sentence, broken by the wheezing of Sam as she tried to take a deep breath. It resulted in coughing and she leaned away from Daniel to cough up blood onto the stone floor. She almost immediately returned to his arms though.

"I'm going to end up falling asleep," she whispered. Daniel shook his head.

"What do you think Jack and Teal'c are doing right now?" His voice sounded dreadfully fake to his ears as he tried to strike up a conversation in order to keep the scientist awake. She shook her head softly.

"Talking hurts," she reminded him in her hoarse voice. He cursed to himself, sighing in defeat.

"Just… please try to stay awake, okay?" She nodded against him and they lapsed into silence once more, her body shivering periodically as the cell morphed into darkness.

"It's probably night now," Daniel said lamely, casting his gaze around and up to catch the brief glimpse of moonlight from their window.

"It's colder at night," Sam murmured, shifting her weight in pain. Daniel silently agreed with her, feeling the icy bite of the cold on his arms and back.

"We'll be okay." Daniel's ears suddenly picked up on the familiar sound of metal boots outside the cell, and he growled slightly. "Not again…" he mumbled, glancing down at Sam in worry. If they took her, she probably wouldn't survive. But if they took him and left her here, she wouldn't survive either.

"I'm gonna die," Sam croaked quietly, staring at the door in anticipation.

"No you won't," Daniel stated firmly, not meeting her eyes.

"It's okay, I'll come back," she whispered, and Daniel could feel her struggling to get out of his grasp. The cell door opened and the all-too familiar guards greeted them with smug grins.

"Today you will talk, or you will die." As they started to open the door, Daniel tried helping Sam stand, which was not easy since her legs were barely responding and since she couldn't support her weight. She was more so leaning on Daniel then she was standing. Her head lolled back as black dots swam in her vision, her legs cramping painfully as blood rushed back into them and brought feeling back to her old wounds. Sam grimaced but decided not to respond, being too busy with keeping from falling over.

"The female one, come." The lead guard sent the other two inside and they grasped her by the arms, Daniel wishing he could do more than just stand there. Sam didn't even cast a glance backwards as she was dragged out of the cell, because she knew that Daniel would look like a kicked puppy. She didn't want him to feel this way; he had the chance to get out alive but instead he was staying with her. Sometimes she wished he could be more selfish, even though she knew she'd be doing the exact same thing if the two of them had switched roles. Her head drooped forward and the image of the floor swam in and out of her vision. Everything was so foggy, she couldn't think straight. Suddenly the floor that was swimming in her vision was connecting with her face, and her breath left her frail lungs as she just laid there on the cold stone floor. A foot nudged her under the stomach and she involuntarily rolled over, hissing in pain and biting down on her lip. Her narrowed eyes glanced up at the form of Máahes as he cocked his head to the side.

"Hello there Samantha," he cooed with a smile. Sam closed her eyes and kept the sob back. She didn't want the pain, she didn't want this again. But when a hand came down to yank her hair up, she knew that she didn't have much choice.

**A/N: So I don't know about you guys, but I heard a rumor around the web that said that the third SG1 movie has a green light again after the trouble they had with MGM. This is a good thing. This is a very, VERY good thing. RDA, Michael Shanks, and Amanda Tapping have already signed on! *grins like an idiot* So thank you very much for your reviews! Coupled with the amazing rumor (which I hope isn't a rumor), they have made my day. Love you all! 3**


	6. Chapter 6

Máahes pulled Sam to her feet, pushing her up against the wall that was behind him. He trapped her body with his and kept his hand firmly tangled in her hair, enjoying the small bit of pain it was causing his captive. The Goa'uld brought his face inches from hers, his eyes locking on her lips, causing dread to fill Sam's mind. No. She squirmed and he looked back up at her, moving his lips to her ears as she tried to pull away.

"It's not use," he whispered, his warm breath trickling down her neck and causing Sam to shiver in disgust. "You have nowhere to run anyway." She growled in defiance and tried to shove him away, which was to absolute no use since she barely had any energy to keep her eyes open, even though adrenaline was feebly coursing through her veins. Panic flashed through her mind when she realized that she was, in no way possible, going to overpower him or change her fate in any way. She got ever more panicked when her vision suddenly blacked out but came back quickly. If she passed out now, she would have no idea of what he could do to her.

"Get off," she whined, her mind frantically trying to figure out anything that would help her in any way. Taking a small breath, she smashed her head into the Goa'uld's face, satisfied when he jumped back in a hiss of pain, clutching his nose.

"You insolent Kresh'ta! Di'dak'dida Krenol Me!" Sam slumped to the floor, trying to push herself up again but failing miserably. The eyes of Máahes glowed a deep gold and the familiar sound of the Goa'uld speaking in his deep resonating voice reached Sam's ears. "You will not disobey your god."

"You are not a god," she managed to squeeze out through clenched teeth, crying out in pain as he brought his foot down on her leg. It snapped and even though her legs were numbed, she still felt pain searing up into her spine and she gasped slightly. She vaguely heard the Goa'uld call for something or someone and she tried to blink a couple of times to clear the black dots in her vision so that she could make out the door in the distance. She mustered up energy to move but was suddenly heaved up by two pairs of strong arms. She whined in pain as her leg slipped into an upright position and her broken bones pushed against each other.

Sam closed her eyes in defeat, concentrating on canceling out the pain from her legs. She felt something cold press up against her back and suddenly straps tightened on her wrists and ankles, causing her to wince. And now she was tied securely to a… board? Yes, it felt like a metal board.

_"What are they going to do to me?" _She managed to think through the cloud haze. Thinking that it would be the best to open her eyes (no matter how much it hurt), Sam cracked open her right eye and looked around slowly. She could see the back of Máahes, her GDO lying beside him on a table, his arms moving as he muttered something under his breath. She rolled her head over to the side, her eyes catching a glimpse of leather restraints that held her tied to what was indeed a metal board.

"Let's see if you're as willing to defy me after I'm done with you." The lacy voice of the Goa'uld caused Sam to re-direct her face forward him, and they closed again in terror as soon as she caught sight of the knife in his hand.

"God no," Sam whispered, dreading what she knew was going to happen. She felt the cold tip of the knife being placed precisely at her temple, and she braced herself for the pressure. Warm breath traveled down her neck and a hissing laugh filled her ears. "Now then, let's try this again," he murmured, keeping his face inches from hers. She kept her eyes closed, refusing to open them and meet the eyes of the monster in front of her. "What is the code to this device of yours?" Sam heard him tap the GDO with his finger. She stayed silent, and she kept her eyes closed, her mouth drawing into a thin line. A finger traced her jaw and she felt the tip of the knife twirling carefully on her temple, still not pressing down enough to cause pain or injury. "You're very beautiful," the voice cooed. Sam's spirits broke a bit inside when his finger moved from her jaw to her lips. "Now give me the code." The knife pressed a bit harder against her skin.

"No," she said under her breath, his fingers moving as soon as she talked. She felt them brush against her skin as he stroked a piece of hair away from her forehead. Suddenly lips were crushed against hers and her eyes snapped open in alarm and pain, a cry of disgust and hate bubbling up. She drew her face back but he followed her, the knife pressing with dangerous pressure against her skin. She forced her head to the side, breaking contact and spitting out onto the ground. Her body shook with exhaustion and fear, and she could hear the Goa'uld chuckling humorously. The knife was suddenly back and it made a deep cut from her temple down to her jaw line. She gasped as pain blossomed up and clenched her jaw together as warm blood seeped down her face. He claimed her lips again and she glued them together tightly, much to Máahes's discontent. The taste of blood managed to squeeze its way through her lips and the smell of iron and sweat filled her nose.

Máahes pushed his body closer to hers, hungrily letting his free hand roam her body. She struggled against him, trying to escape the lips that were still crushed against hers. She continued to squirm and he moved his lips away from her mouth and down to her neck, biting harshly and kissing the skin hungrily. His hand moved toward her lower half as he slipped one finger beneath the fabric of her belt and pants and started to tug. Willing her adrenaline to give her one last boost, Sam grabbed a hold of his ear between her teeth and bit down hard, thrusting her head backwards. The Goa'uld's hands vanished as he clutched his bleeding ear, a loud and angry yell coming from him. He picked up the knife once more with a murderous look in his eye

"You are a foolish one" He snarled, slashing her across her bicep. Sam cried out, shrugging away from the Goa'uld as he pushed the knife into her wound. He twisted the blade which made her cry out more, and he pulled it back out the wrong way which caused her skin to burst.

"Stop," she cried in pain, her raw throat gurgling up blood as her lungs screamed in an automatic response of fear and pain. He continued his slashing with the knife, making thin and fairly harmless slashes all over her skin which burned wickedly. Finally, after more crying from Sam and still no further progress in the GDO code, he made one big slash across her throat, and the blood still left in her system pooled out and life left her body in an instance.

* * *

Sam took a deep breath, feeling warmth wash over her as she opened her eyes without difficulty. Staring up at the white interior of the sarcophagus, Sam stretched her limbs slightly and relief coursed through her when her actions were not met by pain. Memories of what had led up to her death came crashing back and she closed her eyes again, fear making her heart flutter. What if she hadn't been able to stop him like she did? What if he had continued doing those things with her? And she was not talking about the knife. Her body shuddered just thinking about the Goa'uld's lips crushed against hers, and she could almost feel his fingers still burning on her skin. She felt like she needed a shower.

The sarcophagus opened and two guards grabbed her roughly, pulling her out and immediately pinning her against a wall. They were big, bigger than Teal'c even, and definitely bigger than Máahes. They both leaned in close, and Sam tried to struggle but realized that it was impossible. Damn they were strong. One of them leaned in very close, his nose nearly touching hers and his breath covering her entire face. It smelled like alcohol and fish.

"Máahes told us not to touch you, but you are so beautiful, how could we not," the man said, stepping in closer to Sam. He pushed up against her, much in the way that the Goa'uld had hours before, but this time Sam knew that she would not be able to fight him off as easily. She squirmed until finally she got a leg free and she kneed upwards hard, catching him right between the legs. His expression changed from one filled with hunger and lust to one filled with pain, and he pitched over slightly, loosening his grip on Sam. Acting quickly, she elbowed the guard in front of her in the nose and then kicked the guard next to him square in the stomach which sent him staggering back a bit. She then took off running, darting through the door and into a hallway which looked a bit familiar. Without hesitating, she took off to the right, but she didn't get very far before a giant shape loomed behind her and pushed her down onto the ground.

**A/N: Hehe... Hi, totally have been ignoring writing for like... half a year. It was so amazing to write out a chapter again when summer started up. More are coming, Chapter Seven is almost done already. Love you all! **


	7. Chapter 7

"You fool," the second guard snarled, yanking her up by her hair and grabbing a hold of both of her hands behind her back. He half dragged-half led her back to the cell Sam knew as 'home' and pushed her inside, following. He shut the door and pinned her against it, oblivious to her struggles as he claimed her mouth with his.

Daniel, who had been lightly dozing in the cell, blinked a couple of times at the sudden sound of the door opening and two people making their way inside. Standing up, he hurried over to the bars and squinted into the darkness, and to his surprise (and immediate disgust), he found one of the guards with his tongue down Sam's throat. One of the really big guards.

"Hey, get off of her," he called, shaking the bars to no avail. The man didn't respond but instead roughly shoved his hand down behind Sam which made her yelp. This made Daniel even madder and he stretched out, barely snatching onto the guard's uniform, but he reached further until it was painful and grabbed the back of the metal body, pulling roughly. The man, being very much larger than Daniel, barely moved, but he did let go of Sam partially to turn his attention to Daniel.

"You don't like me taking advantage of the woman, ay?" he sneered, keeping just out of reach of Daniel's hands. The distraction gave Sam just enough space to give him a good kick to the side of his thigh, and he crashed to the ground as she darted for the door. Yanking at the handle, she found to her dismay that it was locked.

"Sam, his Zat!" Daniel called suddenly, pointing at the guard's belt where his Zat and keys were attached. She made a quick dash for the weapon, but the guard was already back on his feet, grabbing a hold of her wrist and twisting painfully. She grunted but shot her other hand out, trying to punch the man in the face. He grabbed this hand too and forced her up against the bars, a wild and angry look on his face. He collected both of her wrists into one massive hand and pushed it upwards above her head against the bar. He clamped his other hand firmly around her neck and started to squeeze, a murderous look in his eye. Sam's eyes widened and she started gasping, trying to take in air. Black spots swam in her vision as the guard gripped harder and Sam's flailing started to die down as her lungs screamed for air.

"Da-an-" she chocked, wondering where the hell her friend was. Suddenly the arm holding her hands up became limp and soon the entire body of the guard collapsed on the ground. Sam collapsed with him, her breath coming in hitching coughs as her lungs frantically tried to regain the oxygen it had lost. She sat slumped against the bars, staring at the motionless form of the Jaffa until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Sam instinctively flinched away and spun around, sliding away from the contact to stare at whoever had touched her. Daniel blinked at her a couple of times, his hand still hovering where he had placed it on her shoulder, his other hand gripping a Zat. At the scared expression on Sam's face, he furrowed his eyebrows together, immediately getting worried.

"Hey, sorry, didn't mean to scare you there," he said carefully, retracting the Zat. Sam breathed out and shakily stood, her hand automatically going up to her neck where a bruise was most likely already forming. Realizing that she still hadn't said anything to him, and that he was standing there with a hesitant and worried expression on his face, she forced a smile and nodded at the guard.

"Thank you." Her voice came out as a rasp and she ignored the burning in her lungs every time she breathed in.

"Anytime," he responded, giving her one of his famous 'worried-Daniel' looks before glancing at the locked cell door. "You think you could…?" he trailed off, gesturing at the keys on the guard's belt.

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Bending down over the guard, she snatched the keys off his belt and went to unlock the cell door. As soon as the door swung open, Daniel handed her the Zat, and her mind was immediately eased at the feel of a weapon back in her hands. After days of torture sessions and feeling like she was at the mercy of others, it was a nice feeling to have control again. Daniel studied her closely.

"Are you okay?" he asked, hoping for a sincere answer. She glanced at him as she approached the door, keys in hand.

"Yea, I'm fine, they put me in the sarcophagus, so I'm good as new." Daniel wasn't pleased with this answer.

"Sam, what did they do to you?" he asked a bit more gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinched away, like before, but this time she met his eyes. Even though she gave him a small smile, her eyes were still dull and he could see the discomfort his touch caused her, so he let go of her shoulder. Hours ago she had been curled up in his arms, on the brink of death and trying to preserve warmth, and now she was distant and distracted, and he idly wondered if the guards had done more than just kiss her.

"Standard torture procedure, tried to force information, nothing new." She said with a shrug, turning back to the door. "Ready?" she then asked, placing the key in the lock. Daniel realized that it was the end of discussion, and by the way that her eyes turned cold as she stared upon him, he didn't want to question her further. So instead he nodded, and she unlocked the cell door and came face to face with the guard she had beaten up earlier. He blinked and didn't have time to react before his body shuddered with energy and he collapsed on the ground.

"Let's go." They took the corridor opposite the one they'd been lead down the past couple of days, but soon enough they had to stop to figure out where they were.

"The rings should be around here somewhere," Sam muttered, trying to re-wire the door they were currently stationed at. Daniel didn't break eye contact with the corridor, making sure that no enemies snuck up on them. He heard the doors slide open and turned to congratulate Sam when he was met with three Jaffa Guards, all aiming staff weapons at them. Sam stood slowly, stepping closer to Daniel as the guard with the bloody nose sneered at her angrily.

"Hi there," Daniel said, breaking the silence.

"Drop the weapon and come with us." One of them stated, nodding at the Zat. Daniel looked at Sam who looked back at him with raised eyebrows. Slowly they put the Zat down on the ground and then stood back up, only to be grabbed by the other two guards. They could see two more waiting behind them. The guards were not gentle as they led the two members of SG-1 through the corridors of the ship, finally stopping outside the familiar doors of Máahes' chambers. They opened and the two of them were dragged inside. The metal board with leather straps still stood off to the side, with the tray of knives still lying bloody and on display. Two servants were working hard trying to wipe all the blood off the ground, and Daniel stared at the red liquid and then at Sam. She was avoiding his gaze and not looking at the board, and pain stabbed at Daniel's heart. The fact that all of that blood wasn't his made his stomach churn.

"Samantha, you look much better." Máahes grinned from where he was sitting in his throne. The guards stopped and pushed both Daniel and Sam down onto their knees in front of the steps leading up to the Goa'uld. "And it's a pleasure to have you both together for once!" Máahes actually looked delighted as he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. Sadistically delighted. Both members of SG-1 stared at him with disgusted hate, their mouths firmly clamped shut. Sam raised her chin slightly and narrowed her eyes. The Goa'uld chuckled.

"You two are so resilient. Do you not understand that there is no point? Gonach. Lo mai'tac Tau'ri a kek hasshak." He snarled the last few words, spitting onto the floor in front of them. Sam didn't need Daniel's translation to know that they had just been insulted. Máahes snorted in distaste when his words did not create a response from his prisoners. He took slow, deliberate steps down the small stairs and stood in front of Daniel, cocking his head to the side as he studied him. Daniel refused to raise his gaze to look at the man and instead kept them trained on the wall behind him. The guard behind Daniel jabbed him sharply in-between the shoulder blades and Daniel flinched slightly at the pain.

"Kree'ta, let them be." Máahes said curtly and the two guards backed off, keeping their respectable distance. "Look at me." Daniel's gaze did not waver. The fake god reached down and clamped Daniel's jaw in between his hands, forcing his gaze upwards. "Why do you not respond to your God?" Daniel made a low chuckling noise which caused Máahes's look to turn colder. He backhanded the blue eyed man across the face, causing him to stumble slightly sideways. He caught himself with a hand as a curse flew out of his mouth, but nothing else. Máahes gave him an angry sneer before turning and marching back up the stairs. He removed something from beside his throne and whipped around, stalking back down with a pain stick clutched in his grasp. He walked up to Sam, turning his cold glare toward Daniel. "Speak or she will suffer."


	8. Chapter 8

Sam turned to give Daniel a warning glance, and he met her eyes with a dismayed frown. But her look told him to shut up and he stayed quiet, wiping a bit of blood off the corner of his mouth. Without warning, the Goa'uld shoved the pain stick into her side, causing a scream from her lips. It quickly died out as the pain became too unbearable and she collapsed sideways, her body shaking as the pain stick was dug deeper into her side. Daniel watched all of two seconds of it before letting out an angered scream.

"Stop!" Máahes immediately removed the pain stick, ending Sam's silent screaming and the pain. She whimpered once quietly, pulling herself together and attempting to get back up, but remained in an awkward half sitting position. Daniel's eyes were alight with anger and also worry, his gaze flickering between Sam and the man standing over her.

"See, how simple was that?" Máahes responded lightly, giving Daniel a morbid smile. Daniel screwed his lips tight into a thin line, not giving into the Goa'uld's temptations of cooperation. "Daniel, do you want to see her suffer?" No response again. "Samantha, do you want me to stop?" Sam did not raise her eyes nor acknowledge the Goa'uld. Máahes pushed the pain stick back onto her, this time hitting her spine and making her back arch as the flaming hot fingers licked up her back and into her mind, ripping apart the shreds of clear thought that she had built up.

"Stop!" Daniel cried out again, clenching his fists. This time, the Goa'uld did not listen to him and kept his eyes trained on Sam's writhing body. "Dear god, please stop, you're going to kill her!" Daniel was up on his feet in an instance, taking a lunging step toward the Goa'uld, but his actions were quickly thwarted as strong arms held him back. He struggled in desperation against the resistance.

"Tell me the code to your little machine that opens the Chaapa'ai." Máahes stated this calmly. Sam's gurgling noises began to ebb as her body went into shock, not knowing how to deal with the pain.

"Okay, just stop!" Daniel spat out the words, hoping and praying that he would stop. The pain stick was calmly removed and Sam collapsed onto the ground, her breathing irregular as her body shook in spasm.

"Well?" The Goa'uld raised an eyebrow, the pain stick hovering just slightly over Sam's body. Daniel ground his teeth together, staring at the twitching Sam in frustration. Máahes moved the torture device closer to Sam as though he was going to prod her with it again.

"1965." Daniel swiftly lied, his eyes glued to the pain stick as it slowly withdrew from the blonde woman lying on the floor. He knew he would pay later when the Goa'uld figured out that the code was fake.

"We are finally making progress." The Goa'uld sounded smugly pleased as he made his way over to Daniel. The archeologist kept his eyes on Sam. When Máahes was close enough to touch him, he jabbed the pain stick into Daniel's shoulder, causing a lighting of pain to shoot through Daniel's body. Daniel screamed and found himself with his face pressed against the cool floor, his hands struggling to get a grip of something that would alleviate the pain. The intensity vanished for a brief moment and he managed to catch a few gulping breathes of air before the pain returned, eating away at his insides and devouring his mind. This continued until Daniel felt like every single nerve in his body radiated pain. Finally he managed to curl up into a shaking ball, a broken sob escaping him as everything ached.

"Do you understand how important it is to cooperate ha'shak?" Máahes moved away from Daniel and took slow and even steps back toward Sam. "Poor Samantha wouldn't have suffered so much if you could have just told me the code earlier." He gave a sharp kick to her ribs which caused her to grunt. She attempted to roll away from the Goa'uld, but he followed with a small step.

"Leave her alone," Daniel managed to grind out between his clenched teeth, arching his neck in order to see what he was doing to her.

"You should have seen her squirm under me before." Máahes noted with a sly smile. "She struggled." He emphasized his words with another kick to Sam's back. She arched her back and let out a moan. "She tried to fight when I kissed her but she had no chance. She screamed." He kicked her again. "And pleaded." Kick. "And bled." Kick. "Quite a lot."

"Stop!" Daniel attempted to raise himself up onto his hands but he remained in that helpless position, watching Sam cough up blood as a boot connected to her stomach again. He went to kick her again and she shot her hand up, grasping onto his foot and pulling, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto his back. He roared loudly, scrambling back onto his feet, his face burning in hot embarrassment and anger. The guards hesitated, taking an uncertain step toward their god, their eyes worried.

"No! Stay back!" He growled, narrowing his eyes into venomous slits. They glowed slightly and his normal voice was replaced by that of the Goa'uld. "You have done nothing but anger me, ha'shak." He snapped his fingers in the direction of the metal board and two servants came rushing over with it, placing it before their god without making eye contact. They rotated the metal slab until it was parallel to the ground and then bowed and left. Daniel saw Sam's body go rigid at the sight of the board and with wheezing breathes he got onto all fours. His vision swam before him and he closed his eyes in order to get some control of his body back.

"Take me," he rasped, not quite knowing what he was volunteering for. He just needed to keep Sam away from him. Máahes let out a bark of a laugh, retrieving a jar from a table in the room.

"Kal shaka mel Daniel." He sneered at the kneeling man. "Jaffa, bring me the mai'tac ha'shak." He pointed at Sam and the two guards marched over, yanking her up and dragging her to the metal board. She tried to struggle against them but was still too weak to make any real attempt.

"Please don't," she stuttered, pulling back weakly away from the board. With a slight heave, the Jaffa unceremoniously dumped her onto the metal plate. She was strapped down securely with leather bonds. Inside, Sam started to panic. The fact that she was now lying down and Máahes was standing above her did not help in anyway. Arching her back, she tried to break out of her hold but the bonds held strong. Daniel cursed, his mind reeling from trying to think of a way to help Sam and the pain from the pain stick.

"I'll tell you what you want to know, just put me there instead!" he croaked, raising his head to look at the fake god. Máahes just smirked.

"These are called Kek'reem." With slow, steady motions, the Goa'uld opened the lid of the jar and a sudden high pitched screeching filled the room. In caused both Sam and Daniel to wince at the high frequency and Daniel covered one ear. "They are like the lesser younger brother of a symbiote," Máahes continued with a slightly raised voice. His face held a smile of pure glee. "Not intelligent, nor a being of importance. But they feed on human flesh." He extracted an inch long white larva which wriggled furiously in his grasp. Sam could see the little mouth opening and closing as it continued screeching, causing her massive headache to get worse. "And they are always hungry." Máahes nearly giggled as he began to lower the larva toward Sam's body, and at that point the scientist started to panic.

"No don't please! Stop!" She fought harder against her restraints but the larva continued to descend toward her thigh. "Daniel!" she called out in a desperate attempt for help. Tears began welling up in her eyes, quickly rolling down her cheeks as she continued to buck violently on the metal table.

"You can't do this!" Daniel called out in rage, still struggling to get off of his hands and knees. Máahes paused and smirked.

"Oh," Máahes said quietly, the larva dangling just above Sam's cloth covered thigh. Another wide grin spread across his face. "But I can." He dropped the larva and it immediately began digging into Sam's skin, forcing its way past the fabric and disappearing. Its high pitched screeching was muffled and replaced by Sam's screams of pain and terror. Blood squirted out where the creature had buried in and Sam's frantic screaming turned into pure screams of terror and pain. Daniel screamed with her, trying to crawl up the steps to do something, _anything, _to stop the vile man from continuing. The guards picked Daniel up and began carrying him out of the chamber, causing Daniel to fight back violently.

"Leave her the fuck alone!" His angry cry was met with a fist to the face and a knee to the stomach. With the air knocked out of him, the two Jaffa hoisted him up and brought him toward the exit. The last thing Daniel heard as he was dragged out of the chamber was Máahes' laughter mingled with the tortured cries of his best friend.

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of activity. This story is going to continue and hopefully be enjoyed by everyone for a while longer. Love you all. 3 **


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Daniel was returned to the cell, more punches and kicks had been administrated to various parts of his body, and when he was practically thrown onto the stone floor, he remained there in a miserable heap, letting the cold stone cool his pounding face. The guards spat something before stalking out, locking the door behind them as usual. Daniel pulled himself together and crawled over to the wall, collapsing against it. He coughed up a wad of blood which was deposited beside him and the labored breathing continued.

A groan escaped his mouth as Daniel tenderly touched his abdomen. He would guess at two fractured ribs from the guard's kicking and kneeing. Shaky breathes accompanied him as he tried to piece together what other injuries he had sustained, and he came to the conclusion that they were only really painful bruises. The sudden sound of something in the very far distance caught his attention though. As it got louder, it became clearer what it was. Sam's screams.

The door swung open to reveal four guards, Sam restrained between the four of them. She was writhing and screaming as though a demon was possessing her, and the guards were obviously having a hard time keeping up. Daniel watched in slight shock as the four men wrestled Sam into the cell and released her, causing the woman to drop to the floor and continue her writhing. The guards retreated quickly with a hint of fear in their eyes, cursing under their breath as they departed. Daniel blinked a few times, trying to piece together why Sam was acting so violent.

"Get it out!" she suddenly screamed in desperation, clutching at her thigh. Daniel could then see a shape moving under her skin on her thigh by the giant entry wound that the larva had made. Máahes had left it in there. Anger nearly turned Daniel's vision red. He crawled over to her and attempted to steady her leg, something that was nearly impossible. He could now hear the squealing made by the creature coming from within Sam's body. Taking a hold of the hole in Sam's pants made by the larva, he yanked it sharply, splitting the fabric and revealing more of her bloodied leg.

"Get it out!" Sam's desperate repeated cries only made the panic rise in Daniel's chest as he attempted to hold her thigh flat on the ground. The high pitched sound made by the larvae threatened to split his skull open and he couldn't help but grind his teeth together against the destructive headache. The fact that he had no medical tools to speak of did not make the task any easier and as he glanced at his dirty and worn fingers, his heart sunk further at the thought of an infection.

Another anguished moan snapped him back in action and he pinned her leg down with one knee. He squeezed the entrance wound with one hand, applying enough pressure to force the larvae out of its burrowing. The squirming tip of the tail suddenly protruded from the bloody mess and Daniel latched onto it with tight fingers. It squirmed violently in his grip and Sam's body reacted in turn, struggling even more against the pain. Pulling harder, it finally let go of the leg muscle with a "shloop" sound and slid out, flailing back and forth in Daniel's grasp. The screech was even louder outside the body and Daniel immediately placed it on the ground and brought down a heavy foot upon it.

The noise ended abruptly. The cell was now strangely quiet, filled only with the sounds of Sam's low sobs and Daniel's labored breathing. He collapsed back down onto his knees, at a slight loss of what to do next. Seeing as the wound was still bleeding, he decided that he had to somehow ebb the flow. The archeologist furrowed his eyebrows together at the thought that the larvae could have severed an important blood stream. Seeing as her pants where already torn at the thigh from where he had ripped it apart, he managed to rip strips of fabric from the clothing.

Something caught his eye as the fabric parted to reveal the rest of Sam's leg and Daniel's confusion turned to shock and then disgust at what he saw. Her leg had strange patterns running up and down the shin and thigh. Patterns from where the larvae had buried back and forth. He closed his eyes and tried to hold back the bile rising in his throat.

"Da-anie-e-l," Sam stuttered, reaching out blindly with one hand to clutch onto the fabric of his shirt.

"Shh shh, it's okay, I'm just going to stop the bleeding." He murmured back, tying the strip tightly around her thigh above the wound. He wished that he had something to bandage the wound with, but he didn't want to risk putting dirty fabric over the open sore. So instead he gathered up Sam in his lap and rocked her back and forth, apologizing under his breath for not being able to stop Máahes. He apologized for not taking her place and he apologized for her pain. They both knew it didn't matter, but she let him apologize as she sniffled. It made them human.

"I don't want to anymore," she whispered, shaking her head slightly. "I can't do that again. Not that. Not again. I'll have to tell him _something _next time Daniel."

"I know," Daniel stated softly, shutting his eyes tightly together. "We just need to hold out a little bit longer." He received no response from his friend. There was silence for a few seconds.

"Sam," Daniel began hesitantly. "Were there only one of those things? At once I mean?" Sam shook her head negative and the shuddered. "Were there more?" To this, Sam hesitated before nodding.

"Three more." The statement settled into the cold walls and Daniel hugged Sam closer. They carefully made their way over toward the wall so that Daniel could lean against it. Sam resumed her position in his lap with her head resting on his shoulder and her hands tangled in his shirt.

"I'm going to sleep Daniel," she mumbled, shivering from exhaustion and cold.

"You can't sleep," he responded immediately, staring out into the darkening room.

"I need to sleep." This repeat was whispered and Daniel could hear the slight tremor of pain and fear in the words. He opened his mouth to retort again but felt her hand clutch at him harder. "Please. I just…" her sentence died off and he felt wetness on his shirt from silent tears.

"Okay," he said softly. "Please just wake up." Sam offered no response but instead sighed quietly, both of them knowing very well that the chances that she didn't wake up were great. "Go to sleep." He pressed a brief kiss to her head, knowing the affection wasn't enough to show how much she meant to him. But she was already fast asleep, her labored breathing slowing only slightly. Daniel stared out into the black cell and then sighed as well. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the cold and unforgiving wall and let sleep slowly grab a hold of his exhausted body.


	10. Chapter 10

When Daniel awoke, he was first confused as to why he had slipped away from unconsciousness. The sudden clanging of boots from outside the cell quickly cleared that up and Daniel attempted to shake away the cobwebs from his exhausted mind. Looking down in his arms, he found Sam just as she had fallen asleep, her head resting on his chest and her arms limp. She was completely cold. Cold and unmoving. Daniel had to close his eyes again for a few seconds in order to stop the tears from welling up, and he cursed silently under his breath. Hugging the body tightly, he pressed his cheek against the top of her head and apologized in slow whispers, trying to convince himself that he could somehow bring her back to life. It was cruel that she was gone. It was unfair and wrong that she was lying dead in his arms after everything she had been through.

The guards entered the cell and marched up to Daniel, grabbing the body of Sam and roughly pulling her aside without any hesitation. He tried to hold onto her but the guards were too strong, tossing her into a pathetic heap on the ground. The thought that she was just a cold body didn't cross Daniel's mind and he reared up in anger, punching the guard in the face with a cry of hate.

"Leave her alone," he spat, attempting to break free of the three other pair of hands that clutched at him. His actions took on a ferocious violent nature as all of the pain and hate and agony crashed down onto him and he snarled as he tried to fight his way free. His friend was dead. He was probably going to follow her soon enough. Tears stung at his eyes as he caught glimpses of Sam's body tossed onto the ground, and he let out a stream of curse words as the Jaffa began to drag him out of the cell. A punch to his face and a jab to his ribs silenced the cursing archeologist, and they started their journey down the hall. It seemed colder than usual. Daniel tried to blink away the stars from his beating as they neared the familiar door to Máahes' chamber, and he felt his heart cry out at the thought of more torture. His mind briefly flashed to Sam's thigh and to the knowledge that there were three more of those creatures waiting.

"He is a false god," Daniel growled, spitting out blood onto the floor. He was pretty sure his words would do nothing to the men surrounding him. One of the guards gave him a sneer.

"Yet he crushes you like you were a small insect." There were chuckles from the other guards and Daniel attempted to break free with a quick pull by his left arm. He head-butted the guard in the face and turned to deal with the other but was once again punched in the face. Another guard took the opportunity to kick his legs out from under him and he went crashing to the ground, hitting the floor hard and bruising his arm and ribs in the process. They pulled him back up and entered into the chamber, literally tossing Daniel forward and unceremoniously onto the ground. He landed with another hard thud and lost his breath, tightening his hands into fists as he struggled to breath.

"Daniel?" The sharp voice was laced with worry, surprise, and above all: relief. Daniel blinked a couple of painful times and looked up from his position on the ground. He blinked a few more times and furrowed his eyebrows together to make sure that what he was seeing was actually true.

"Jack?" he wheezed in confusion, trying to get up. One of the Jaffa kicked him sharply in the side which caused him to crash back onto the floor.

"Hey, leave him alone," Jack barked from where he was kneeling on the floor a couple of feet away. Teal'c was in a similar position a few feet away from Jack and both of them had their eyes intently glued on Daniel's writhing figure.

"What a pleasure of you to join us Daniel," Máahes purred, waving a hand nonchalantly from where he was sitting at his throne. Four guards stood behind Teal'c and Jack, making sure that the two didn't make any sudden movement. The four guards that had carried Daniel in departed, leaving only one to stand nearby in case the archeologist found some magical reserve strength to get back up.

"You filthy bastard, what have you done with him?" Jack's eyes were alight with hatred as his gaze flickered from Daniel to the Goa'uld.

"We've just been having some fun together, haven't we Daniel?" The Goa'uld stood and slowly made his way over to Daniel, circling him once before bending down and raising the man's face so that he could stare into his eyes. "I didn't know you had friends that would come looking for you," he murmured, annoyance flickering in his eyes.

"Fuck you," Daniel spat out, his eyes glossy with unshed grief. Máahes pretended to look taken aback, slapping Daniel across the face. It stung, but Daniel only offered a slight wince in return.

"Now now Daniel," he cooed. "Is this because of Samantha?" Standing, he briskly walked back over to his throne. "It's a shame with her, isn't it?" A small smile danced on his lips and his eyes narrowed into slits, giving him the expression of a sly serpent. Jack's mouth opened but then closed again, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. His eyes finally found Daniel's and Daniel had to look away from his questioning gaze.

"Carter…?" Jack questioned, hope and fear lacing through his voice. Daniel made his hands into fists before looking back at his friend.

"I'm sorry Jack," he breathed, his expression taking on one of anguish. "I'm so sorry…" There was silence as both Jack and Teal'c processed this information before Máahes laughed.

"You're all so pathetic," he stated simply, picking up the pain stick that had been sitting by his throne nonchalantly. "She was so beautiful but so stubborn. And there was so much blood." Before Máahes had the chance to say anything else, Jack had uncovered the zat hidden under his shirt and shot the Goa'uld straight on, not pausing to let the guards react. Teal'c immediately turned and literally assaulted two of the Jaffa, making quick work of both of them and shooting the third with one of the fallen Jaffa's staff weapon. Daniel kicked out with his leg, catching the Jaffa standing behind him off guard and causing him to stumble. The guard fumbled with his zat but Daniel lunged at his legs, bringing the man down onto the ground. With reserve energy, Daniel managed to knock the zat out of the Jaffa's hands but was quickly overpowered by the larger man.

Strong hands suddenly lifted the guard off of Daniel and the archeologist managed to catch a brief glimpse of Teal'c's murderous face before he mashed his forehead into the face of the guard. An extra punch rendered the Jaffa unconscious and his body was dumped onto the ground. Teal'c carefully helped Daniel back onto his feet, holding his arm steady and grasping Daniel's shoulder with his other arm.

"Thanks Teal'c," Daniel said weakly, studying the man's face and thinking that he had never been happier to see the giant in his life.

"It is good to see you Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said with a slight upward turn of his lips. Daniel smiled in return, and Teal'c carefully let go of the man to collect stray weapons from the fallen Jaffa. Daniel stood by himself for a few seconds before he felt his legs give way, but Jack's arms grabbed his shoulders, steadying him. Daniel blinked and looked up at Jack's eyes, seeing the relief and pain radiating from them. Jack then roughly embraced Daniel and the embrace was returned, Daniel closing his eyes and clutching at Jack's shirt.

"Don't you ever disappear again, you hear me spacemonkey," Jack said gruffly, finally allowing himself a hint of emotion as he held onto Daniel.

"I'm sorry Jack," Daniel repeated again, softer this time. Jack withdrew from his hug and grabbed the side of Daniel's face, forcing the man to look him in the eye.

"None of this is your fault, you hear me?" Jack knew what Daniel was doing and wouldn't allow it. Daniel nodded, ducking his head. "Can you walk?" Jack asked, and the man in front of him nodded again, raising his gaze to look back into his eyes. "Well then let's go home."

"We can't leave her here," Daniel blurted out, suddenly afraid of the idea of leaving Sam's body behind. Not after everything she had gone through.

"We need you to show us the way." Daniel nodded, focusing on taking steady steps as they turned toward the door. A zat was handed to him by Teal'c and he nodded his thanks. He glanced behind him to look at Máahes' limp body, thinking of all the terrible things he wanted to do to that man. Exiting the chamber, Daniel couldn't help but feel the relief of how nice it was to walk through those doors by his own free will. He only wished that Sam was walking with him.


	11. Chapter 11

Making their way down the corridors, they met no resistance. This made Daniel wonder how big the ship actually was and how many Jaffa Máahes had under him. He could nearly navigate back to the cell with his eyes closed, something he was definitely not proud of. It made him realize how many times he had actually been back and forth to that damn chamber. Nearing the cell, his heart grew heavier and he closed his eyes before opening the door, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He paused before going in, knowing that he wanted to be anywhere but back here. Taking a slight breath, he entered into the room and had to wait and let his eyes adjust even more. Jack and Teal'c filed in behind him and the three of them stood looking through the bars at the cold and unwelcoming cell. The cold and _empty _cell.

"She's supposed to be here," Daniel said, grasping at the bars for support. The cell looked like it had when they left, wet and unforgiving. It wasn't until now that Daniel realized just how much blood and other unpleasant things were in the cell. But there was no Sam.

"Could the guards have taken her?" Jack asked, not wanting to imagine Daniel and Sam stuck in here for weeks. He wearily eyed the handcuffs toward the back of the cell and all of the blood that caked the ground. Daniel's mind reeled at the possibilities of what could have happened with his friend.

"I-I don't know."

"O'Neill, we have ten minutes," Teal'c interrupted. Daniel turned his head to give Jack a questioning look.

"I know Teal'c," Jack muttered, scratching his head a bit too harshly.

"Ten minutes until what?" Daniel asked cautiously, his eyes flickering from Teal'c to Jack.

"We set explosives all through-out the ship." Jack shifted the zat to his other hand. "They are set to go off in ten minutes." At Daniel's slightly panicked look, Jack raised his eyebrows. "We weren't going to let that bastard stay alive any longer than we had to. It was supposed to be a quick rescue mission, but we got sidetracked."

"We need to find Sam before we leave," Daniel repeated, letting go of the bars and making his way back to the door. He had to steady himself on the frame, clutching his zat in one hand as he thought hard.

"I know Daniel; we're not leaving this ship without her." Jack's words reminded Daniel just how much he had missed his friend and he looked back briefly to smile gratefully. Exiting the cell, the three of them cautiously continued their journey through the ship, checking doors as they went and doing a quick sweep of the rooms in search of their friend's body. The lack of Jaffa still mystified Daniel, and the man tried to think back on the guards that had frequented them during their time the cell. Had they been the same guards or had there been multiple different ones? All he could recall was the pain they caused him and their sneering faces. A bout of dizziness overcame him and he had to briefly pause in order to not topple over. Neither Jack nor Teal'c noticed and he quickened his pace to make up for the few feet lost.

When five minutes had ticked by, Daniel could sense Jack's uneasiness and agitation. The franticness was building up inside his chest, and by the time they reached another door, he was too distracted to even notice that he had been here before.

The doors slid open and the three made their way inside, Teal'c keeping a watchful eye outside while Daniel and Jack made their way into the chamber. Daniel immediately recognized the sarcophagus in the middle of the room, but was quickly distracted by something emerging from the shadows. Both he and Jack raised their zats and watched in disbelief as a giant man of a Jaffa slowly emerged from the darkness with Sam in his arms. A very alive Sam. He had one arm gripped tightly around her neck, the other one holding a zat which was pressed against Sam's head. She was struggling to breathe, both her hands clutching at the man's giant arm which was slowly squeezing her to death. Jack's eyes met hers from a brief instance and a silent agreement passed through them.

"If either of you move, I will-" the Jaffa's body and Sam's were enveloped in a flash of light as Jack discharged his zat, sending them both pummeling to the ground. Jack managed to lunge forward and catch her before she hit the floor. The shock of seeing his best friend alive rooted Daniel to the ground and it wasn't until Jack had hoisted Sam into his arms that he finally moved. He rushed over and checked her pulse, relief coursing through him when he found it to be steady. The wound on her leg was completely gone and her thin and frail body was the only sign of any abuse over the past few weeks. Daniel mentally scolded himself for forgetting about the sarcophagus. The two of them had died here before, and they had been revived just as quickly. Why hadn't the thought of Sam's revival crossed his mind?

"Come on Danny-boy, this place is gonna blow in three minutes," Jack stated, his gaze cold as military instinct and survival took over. They needed to get to the gate. Daniel followed him and Teal'c through the corridors in a slight haze, the adrenaline making him forget about his fractured ribs and bruises. When they emerged into a large room with the Stargate standing proudly in the center, he nearly collapsed at the sight. The idea that the Stargate had been so close this entire time had never crossed his mind, and he had never been happier in his life to see the large ring. Teal'c made quick work of dialing the address, and as the gate began to spin, shouts were heard from the corridor. Jack cursed and gently laid Sam down on the floor behind DHD, ordering Daniel to drop down behind it as well. Jack and Teal'c positioned themselves on either side of the door, and the three of them aimed their zats at the entrance as Jaffa began filing through. They made quick and easy work of the first group, knowing that had little time before the second would arrive. They had even less time before the entire ship exploded. Teal'c entered his code into his GDO and nodded his clearance to Jack who then motioned for them to both make their way toward the gate.

"Daniel, grab Carter and go!" he ordered, causing Daniel to drop the zat and heave Sam into his arms. It took less effort than he would have liked but his ribs still cried out in immense pain as he lifted the woman gently. He disappeared into the blue shimmering wormhole seconds later, with Jack and Teal'c following close behind.

When he emerged into the gateroom to the familiar sight of weapons pointed at ready and General Hammond staring at the gate intently from the control room, he managed to walk a few steps before collapsing on the ramp, making sure that Sam was kept safe in his arms. As the medical staff rushed toward them and Jack and Teal'c emerged from behind him, he finally relinquished his hold on the blonde woman and watched as she was loaded onto a gurney. He managed a tired smile at General Hammond, who had rushed into the gateroom to greet them with a giant grin on his face, but all other action proved to be too much for the exhausted man. He vaguely felt Jacks steady hand on his shoulder and could almost make out his face as he told him that everything would be okay. Closing his eyes, he let himself finally relax after weeks of exhaustion and he was gently lifted onto a gurney before everything faded away into darkness.


End file.
